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'Many killed' as Turkey hit by 7.2 magnitude quake
21:17 - 23.10.11
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has hit eastern Turkey, killing at least 45
people in one town alone as buildings collapsed, Turkish media say.
According to BBC news, the quake struck near the city of Van, where
Anatolia news agency said at least 50 people were injured.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office said there had been
damage and deaths in Van but gave no firm figure.
Turkey is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on
major geological fault lines.
Two earthquakes in 1999 with a magnitude of more than 7 killed almost
20,000 people in densely populated parts of the north-west of the
country.
The earthquake struck at 10:41 GMT (13:41 local time) with its
epicentre 16km (10 miles) north-east of Van, the US Geological Survey
said.
It was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, also centred
north of Van, including two of magnitude 5.6.
The main quake was at a depth of 20km, the USGS said.
Turkish television said 45 people had been killed and 150 injured in
the town of Ercis - some 60km north of Van.
Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said 25-30 buildings had collapsed
in Ercis and 10 had collapsed in Van.
According to the Turkish Red Crescent, 25 buildings containing flats
and one housing a dormitory had collapsed in Ercis, AP said.
Zulfikar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis, told NTV: "There are so many
dead. Several buildings have collapsed, there is too much
destruction."
"We need urgent aid, we need medics," he is reported by the Associated
Press news agency as saying.
Tert.am
From: Baghdasarian
21:17 - 23.10.11
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has hit eastern Turkey, killing at least 45
people in one town alone as buildings collapsed, Turkish media say.
According to BBC news, the quake struck near the city of Van, where
Anatolia news agency said at least 50 people were injured.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office said there had been
damage and deaths in Van but gave no firm figure.
Turkey is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on
major geological fault lines.
Two earthquakes in 1999 with a magnitude of more than 7 killed almost
20,000 people in densely populated parts of the north-west of the
country.
The earthquake struck at 10:41 GMT (13:41 local time) with its
epicentre 16km (10 miles) north-east of Van, the US Geological Survey
said.
It was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, also centred
north of Van, including two of magnitude 5.6.
The main quake was at a depth of 20km, the USGS said.
Turkish television said 45 people had been killed and 150 injured in
the town of Ercis - some 60km north of Van.
Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said 25-30 buildings had collapsed
in Ercis and 10 had collapsed in Van.
According to the Turkish Red Crescent, 25 buildings containing flats
and one housing a dormitory had collapsed in Ercis, AP said.
Zulfikar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis, told NTV: "There are so many
dead. Several buildings have collapsed, there is too much
destruction."
"We need urgent aid, we need medics," he is reported by the Associated
Press news agency as saying.
Tert.am
From: Baghdasarian